Zahid denies Umno constitutional amendments to keep him in power

SHAH ALAM - Umno President Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has denied that the party's proposed constitutional amendments is to save his position.

This comes as the party held an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) at the Umno headquarters here today to get a consensus on postponing the party elections until six months after the next general election (GE15).

"I hear there are voices among us, supposedly this amendment is to save Zahid's position as president. Like I said, it's not true," he said during his speech at the EGM.

He added that it was superficial for any of the party members, including the party's top leadership to have such narrow-minded thoughts.

"Let us not forget that the call for party elections to be held after the general elections was a motion made by the majority of divisions," he said, adding that it was a grassroot decision that was agreed upon during Umno's General Assembly two months ago.

Umno’s 2021-2023 term elections were due on June 30, last year, but were postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and must be held before Dec 30, this year.

The 15th general elections must be held by mid-September 2023, a requirement within 60 days after the current parliament’s term automatically dissolves on July 16 next year.

New faces in Umno? Of course, says Zahid Hamidi

Zahid further said the party is giving space to new faces in the next elections and this shows the party face no shortage of leaders.

"It also shows Umno's readiness to ensure that the party's struggle continues," he said, adding that the party if willing to make amendments to suit the current demands.

The Bagan Datuk MP added young voters under the age of 40 exceed 12 million people or represent 58 percent of the total 21 million voters.

Due to that, he said using several approaches including the proposed amendment to the Constitution would give space to the party to take steps and formulate strategies to face the upcoming general elections, "without us struggling (facing) with internal problems.

"This is our trust and responsibility to ensure the survival of the party. It also requires all of us to be open-minded and big-hearted to ensure Umno continues to flourish after a century of struggle," he told party members.